1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system, and in particular, the present invention provides a computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer program product for distributing and redeeming a manufacturer coupon for a product in a retail environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Customers clip manufacturers' coupons out of newspapers and magazines for products that the customer may purchase. The customer may take minutes or hours every week to find the specific coupons for the products they are interested in purchasing. Then the customer must remember to take the coupon to the retail outlet and buy the exact product specified in the coupon in order to redeem the coupon. In some cases, the coupon may be redeemed the same as cash. For example, if the customer has a $7.50 off coupon on a can of paint, the cashier takes the coupon as though it were cash.
The coupons in each cash drawer are added up as if they were cash, and that amount is added to the cash sum to be sure the overall total for the drawer is accurate. Then in the case of a retail chain, all of the manufacturers' coupons are sent to the retailer's corporate headquarters, typically once a week.
In the big store chains, the value of the coupons can easily total several million dollars per week. The coupons are typically sent to a clearinghouse where the coupons are sorted. Eventually the coupons will be delivered back to the manufacturer for redemption. The retailer may receive a small processing fee in addition to the face amount of the coupon. However, from the perspective of the retailer, there is little advantage to accepting a manufacturer's coupon other than remaining competitive with other retailers.
Increasingly however, the customer is responsible for sending the coupon back to the manufacturer with a proof of purchase to receive the discount on the product. This is an inconvenience to the customer.